Most often when White House officials step down, they were sacked, usually allowed to submit a resignation letter—likely the fate of former Senator/Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Dan Coats.
His departure is effective on August 15, right-wing extremist Rep. John Ratcliffe replacing him. More on him below.
Coats and Trump reportedly clashed over key national security issues, notably on Iran, North Korea, and Russia—including about Trump believing no Kremlin US election meddling occurred.
Indeed not, but the Big Lie persists anyway, pushed by virtually everyone in Washington and the entire establishment fourth estate.
The DNI is a White House cabinet position, the appointee overseeing (not running) 17 agencies making up the US intelligence community, including the FBI, CIA, NSA, the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, and DHS intelligence.
Much of it has open-checkbook funding, no budgetary constraints, the annual amount likely exceeding $100 billion.
The total amount is classified, especially for the CIA, NSA, and DOD. A reported 2015 $66.8 billion total way understated reality.
Former DNI head James Clapper once said the following: “Our budgets are classified as they could provide insight for foreign intelligence services to discern our top national priorities, capabilities and sources and methods that allow us to obtain information to counter threats.”
The CIA poses the most ominous threat, former agency consultant/the late Chalmers Johnson once saying that we’ll “never again know peace, nor in all probability survive very long as a nation, unless we abolish” the agency.
Originally it had five missions. Four involved collection, coordination and dissemination of intelligence.
The fifth is vague, letting operatives perform other missions. They include toppling sovereign independent governments, assassinating foreign leaders and key officials, propping up friendly dictators, involvement in global torture prisons, along with operating drone command centers worldwide together with or separately from the Pentagon.
Operating extrajudicially, the CIA produces fake intelligence to justify policy.
Including defense budgets, known national security state spending likely way exceeds $1.5 trillion annually—a black hole of waste, fraud and abuse. Last year, the Pentagon couldn’t account for $21 trillion: repeat $21 trillion, an unfathomable amount.
Yet the US hasn’t had an enemy since WW II ended. They’re invented to perpetuate the national security state—at the expense of vital homeland needs, the rule of law and social justice fast eroding, heading for eventual elimination to maintain a permanent state of war on humanity.
Following the July 2018 Putin/Trump Helsinki summit, Coats said the following: “We have been clear in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and their ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy [sic], and we will continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support of our national security.”
The above claim has no evidence backing it because none exists. House, Senate, and Mueller probes found nothing. The Big Lie persists through official and media supported repetition.
In mid-August, right-wing extremist/staunch Trump supporter John Ratcliffe will take over as DNI.
The former Bush/Cheney appointed Eastern District of Texas attorney general then served as congressional representative for the state’s 4th district since January 2015.
Coats was hostile toward Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other sovereign independent nations the US doesn’t control.
As DNI head, Ratcliffe may exceed his extremism. In 2016, the hard-right Heritage Foundation called him the most conservative Texas congressman, second most right-wing one in the House.
His intelligence background is scant, on January 30, 2019, appointed to serve on the House Intelligence Committee.
He also serves as minority ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
Along with the US intelligence community, DHS serves as enforcer of privileged interests at the expense of the public welfare and rule of law.
It was established at a time of post-9/11 hysteria, granting unchecked powers to the executive, creating grave threats to civil liberties at the same time.
The Bush/Cheney launched war OF terrorism, not on it, was and continues to wage endless wars on invented enemies, including at home against invented threats—what police state rule is all about.
In his capacity as DNI, Ratcliffe, like his predecessors, will serve the interests of the national security state—which poses the gravest threat to world peace and stability.
The US needs enemies to unjustifiably justify its belligerent agenda. None exist so they’re invented to pursue Washington’s imperial agenda.
The GOP-controlled Senate will likely confirm Ratcliffe to succeed Coats. He’ll serve security state interests—hostile to everyone everywhere.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.
